The logistics business association supports the government's efforts to strengthen import governance and ensure a smooth supply chain through Trade Ministerial Regulation (Permendag) Number 18 of 2026 concerning Import Policies and Regulations.
Yukki Nugrahawan Hanafi, Chairman of the Advisory Board of the ASEAN Federation of Forwarders Associations (AFFA) and Advisory Board of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT), assessed that the regulation is a positive step to increase legal certainty and the effectiveness of licensing services.
"In principle, the business community supports the government's efforts to strengthen import governance and improve business compliance. However, implementation requires maintaining a balance between oversight and ensuring the smooth supply of raw materials and capital goods needed by the national industry," Yukki said in a statement in Jakarta on Saturday.
However, he reminded that the success of import policies is ultimately not measured by the number of restrictions, but rather by their ability to maintain a balance between supervision, smooth flow of goods, logistical efficiency, and increasing the competitiveness of national industry.
Minister of Trade Regulation 18 of 2026 regulates, among other things, the issuance of Surveyor Reports (LS) after the Import Approval (PI) expires, as well as strengthening data validation between licensing documents and Goods Import Notifications (PIB).
"The ultimate goal is to strengthen the competitiveness of national industry, increase exports, and create an efficient and sustainable supply chain. Good regulations must protect the domestic market without compromising the competitiveness of the production and export sectors," he said.
Meanwhile, the Central Statistics Agency (BPS) shows that Indonesia's import structure is still heavily dominated by production needs.
Throughout 2025, the value of national imports reached US$241.86 billion, with raw materials and auxiliary materials accounting for approximately 70 percent (US$169.30 billion) and capital goods around 20 percent (US$50.13 billion). This means that nearly 90 percent of Indonesia's imports are industrial inputs.
